Documenting My Daily Life!
Watch one of my typical weekdays in Barcelona here! :
Excuse the quality of this video (I am not even close to a pro-vlogger...) BUT I made this to give some insight on what I saw around the city and what I often did day to day! I lived in The Student Hotel (TSH) dormitory in the Poblenou neighborhood. Mondays & Wednesdays I had class in the evenings from 4:50-8PM. I made this video based on a Monday schedule. Typically, I would sleep in, wake up and get ready for the day. Everyday, I took the metro to and from my school, my friends' apartments, dinner, etc. It is very convenient and easy to use. I loved eating at Honest Greens, a new lunch place in the heart of Placa Catalunya. From there, I would walk around. Now I really promise I am not a shopaholic... but I did spend my free time shopping before class many times. It was something fun to do and Barcelona has so many cute things! Also, I became addicted to bubble tea from Bubbolitas... many Mondays I would stop in and get one to drink on the go. After my lunch, shopping, and tea, it would be time for class. I would walk over to CEA's building, right next to the Olivia Plaza Hotel in the center. I went to class for 3 hours, and headed back to the metro. By this point, I was hungry, so I would go to La Forastera for my meal plan dinner, and order to-go. I ate and relaxed in my room, watching Youtube and finishing up any homework. And that was my typical day! Nothing too exciting, but I had to save my energy for the busy weekends that came fast each week.
A Flashback to the Beginning:
Heading to Barcelona was my first time ever leaving the country, so it was an exciting, adrenaline-filled experience. I jumped into it all with very little expectations, and almost no knowledge of Barcelona whatsoever. I planned on doing my research on the city and things to do within it once arriving. Barcelona was ultimately my choice for studying abroad because it is a popular destination for students, and the locals speak Spanish (which I have been studying). The direct flight from Boston was about 7 hours, and it was my first time flying by myself. I have flown on many planes, but never for such a long flight and never alone either. When I arrived, I stayed at a hotel within the airport for the night. My program officially started the next day, and they would be picking me up then. I enjoyed my first meal in Spain at the airport cafe, where I ordered a sandwich and salad. The next day, my program (CEA) drove me and a few other students to our housing. I lived in the residencia called "The Student Hotel" or "TSH". The building was a high rise with a rooftop pool. I made sure to set up my desk with my laptop and journal once I settled in :)
I experienced lots of "firsts":
Once I actually settled into my host country, everything I did was suddenly new! I had never been to Spain. Therefore, I valued my first meals, events, hikes, and more. Our program took us on a sightseeing tour the day after move-in, where I saw the Sagrada Familia and other famous landmarks for the very first time. I went out with a group of students later on for dinner, where I tried traditional tapas for the first time! Within my first week, I was able to experience a local tradition. A couple of students and I met up to see the Three Kings Parade, a yearly celebration that occurs just after Christmas. I also tried my first takeout meal from the provided meal plan I was on.
Typical routine/ hobbies:
My typical routine involved nearly all the things pictured above on a daily basis. Everyday, I took the red line of the metro to the city center, Place Catalunya. This is where my classes were, and the main shopping/tourist spot in the city. From here, many places can be easily accessed. The metro is convenient, it runs every 2-3 minutes, but like many others it can be very dirty and sometimes sketchy. Many days when I wanted to take a walk, I would walk to the bullet-like Torre Glories building. Just across the street was the Glories shopping plaza, where I would occasionally shop or have a Costa coffee. The iconic building was also a short walk away from my favorite avocado toast place, Espai Jolui, where I frequently ate. On my walks to and from Glories, I would come across colorful street art. Not all of the graffiti is beautiful, but the special ones stand out.
Nights Out: The City's Wild Nightlife!
When many people think of Barcelona, they think of the wild night life. After experiencing it for myself, I would have to agree it is.... wild. The clubs in particular are nothing like they are in Massachusetts. I am used to places closing around 12/1am. In Barcelona, many places are just opening at this time!!! The typical night out in my experience consists of going to a bar around 11pm, then cabbing over to a club around 1am. Everyone starts heading home around 4:30/ 5am. By the time you get home and get to bed, it is nearly time to start the new day! I just don't know how this time schedule became a thing, but it is a crazy adjustment. Usually, there are long lines to enter the clubs. Luckily though, there are opportunities to avoid cover charges for many of them. Apps like Erasmus Bcn list off the clubs that offer no cover charges for the night, and even the clubs that have open bar for the night! There are also promoters around the city that grant you free entrance if you use their name at the door. (Besides publicity, I am not sure how they make money from this, but it certainly benefits students.) The typical days for students (abroad students in particular) to go out are Mondays and Wednesdays. Don't ask me how everyone managed to do this because it was almost impossible to make it to class on Tuesday/Thursdays when I tried lol. But for the weekends I stayed in the city, I had long, fun Friday nights, and was able to sleep during the day. This of course, was to start it all over again for Saturday night! It is interesting that they pretty much only play American music. Popular, relevant American music can be heard at almost all of these places. Also water is NOT free, and all drinks are quite expensive at these go-to places. For reference, a shot of tequila at Opium was around $12, and a small bottle of water was around $6!